How to lose weight after the holidays

It is very common for people to gain a few extra pounds during the holidays. This is because the food temptations are a lot and the tradition states that in order to enjoy the holidays better you have to eat and drink well. All people, obese or not should be careful not to overdo it during the feasting period. This does not mean that they should not enjoy the tasty food and traditions but simply means that they must be a bit cautions on what they eat and the quantities of food and drinks consumed. After all taking care of your diet is a healthy habit with many more benefits to your health than losing weight.

It is very important therefore that you watch your diet during the holidays. Your goal is not to lose weight but to make sure that the holiday period will not give you more weight. If you can manage to get out of this period with the same weight you had before then this is a success. The holidays are a period where you need to relax and enjoy. Forget about weight loss for a few days but do not overdo it. You do not have to eat everything that is on the table in big quantities. Be more cautious and selective. Enjoy all the tastes but in smaller portions.

The holiday period is also the perfect period to test your progress towards a healthy lifestyle. Now that you can let your self free to eat and drink anything you want, it is a great opportunity to see if you have learned anything about healthy lifestyle. We said many times that weight loss is about healthy lifestyle. It is about a way of living that helps you eat healthy and maintaining your normal weight. It is not about keeping your self from consuming bad and unhealthy food but it is about teaching your self to naturally stay away from temptations that will harm both your weight loss efforts and health. If your weight loss efforts were successful then you will notice that you are selective on what you eat and drink, not because you ‘have do’ but because you want to. If on the other hand you are feeling that now its the time to eat huge quantities and enjoy all kinds of sweets and drinks then your weight loss efforts so far were a failure.

Regardless the above, there are some quick tips you can follow after the holidays to get back in shape and lose any pounds gained during this period. Most of the tips are already explained in detail in our other posts, how to lose weight in 2 weeks and how to lose weight in a week, but it is good to mention the most important tips again for your quick reference.

1. Do not forget to drink a lot of water. This is a must during the holidays as well. While you are enjoying your tasty food get into the habit of always having a glass of water next to you.

2. Once the holiday period is over stay away from meat (especially red) for at least 2 weeks. Complete eliminate from your diet all meat products and eat more fish and legumes.

3. Start exercising again. Most probably you stop exercising because of the holidays. Now it is time to start again. Do not rush into intense and hard programs. Start slow and gradually increase both the intensity and duration of the exercise.

4. Eat more fiber, fruits and vegetables. Now is the time to really follow this rule. It is very likely that during the holidays you did not eat any fruit and skipped all vegetables. You should start again eating fruits for snacks and having vegetables with your main meals. You need fiber now more than ever.

5. Remove all temptations and get back to your weight loss plans. It is possible that your house if full of sweet temptations left over from the holidays. To protect your self from failing into their trap you need to remove these temptations from your cups and fridge and try to stay focus on your weight loss goals.

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